Carolina head coach Ron Rivera owns something precious that only a handful in the Panthers family have: A Super Bowl ring.

He earned that special memento as a 23-year-old linebacker on the 1985 Chicago Bears, considered one of the best all-round teams in NFL history.

Those Bears went 15-1 and cruised through the postseason, annihilating the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Rivera doesn’t ever wear his Super Bowl ring but he is expecting to take it with him to California for a private showing to his players.

“I’ve tried to make the point that it represents everything that you’ve gone through and the people that have played,” Rivera told reporters on Friday, two days before the team flies out to begin the Super Bowl week festivities.

“It’s not necessarily about the ring. It’s the people it stands for.”

Like those Bears, Rivera’s Panthers lost only one game all year and head to California as heavy favourites to beat the Denver Broncos.

“The thing I’ve told the players is this is about Super Bowl 50. It’s an event,” Rivera said. “At the end of the event is to play the game, and that’s what we’re focusing on.

“I told them embrace it, enjoy it, live it, but at the end of the day we have to play the game.”

The Panthers were in full pads for their final workout in Charlotte on Friday before heading west on Sunday.

“Their tempo is just what you’re looking for,” he said. “That set a nice tone and tempo for when we get out there on Monday (and practice).

“When fully padded this time of the year, you have to get something out of it. We got something out of it.”

Chargers ‘Tone Deaf’

Yeah, this is just what the San Diego Chargers fanbase needs right now: To be scolded by some of the numbskull Charger players who clearly could use some lessons in Public Relations 101.

After it was announced Friday that the Chargers would not move to Los Angeles until at least the 2017 season and maybe not even then, some Charger players took that moment to get all preachy with the people in San Diego whose ticket purchases pay their salaries.

Chargers’ outside linebacker Melvin Ingram and wide receiver Keenan Allen took to Twitter and wrote that if San Diego wants to prove it deserves the Chargers, the fans should buy up every ticket.

“Staying in San Diego 4 another year..Every home game better be sold out..Charger blue everywhere Fans got what they wanted Now come support,” Ingram wrote.

Added Allen: “So it’s looks like we are going to be in San Diego for another season. The stadium better be packed. The fans got what they wanted. Now let’s see sell outs every home game! And not the other teams colors!”

Here’s a sampling of the response from the fans:

“We’ve been supporting for over 50 years, bro. Stupid tweet.”

“Just send out another tweet and apologize dude. That was stupid and if you don’t get why fans have been mad … different story.”

“Might be kinda cool if y’all win more than 4 games though, I mean if you want fans to show up.”

And, finally:

“Do you know how tone deaf you sound?”

Truly. The fans know far more than the players themselves. It’s irrelevant how well the team draws next season. The only thing that will keep the Chargers in San Diego is for the community fathers to cave in and give the team the billion-dollar stadium it wants. That’s probably not going to happen.

Meanwhile, the players should just keep their mouths shut and be thankful if anybody shows up to watch them next season.

Rodgers Has Surgery

Through a good portion of the NFL season, rumours were circulating that Green Bay star Aaron Rodgers was nursing an injury that might explain the fact his passer rating of 92.7 was his lowest since 2008. Or that he set career lows for completion percentage (60.7), passing yards per game (238.8) and yards per attempt (6.7).

Friday night, the quarterback told ESPN that he had undergone arthroscopic surgery since the end of the season to repair some minor damage in one of his knees.

At no time this season did the Packers report any knee injury for Rogers. He was hit on his left knee by Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah on Nov. 15, a hit that Rodgers said was “a little low” The following week, the Packers listed Rodgers on the injury report for a shoulder injury. There was no mention of a knee problem.

Rodgers told ESPN that he was recovering normally, that he was feeling fine and that he would be ready to go when the Packers’ offseason program begins in April.

Quick Hits

Here’s a shocker. Seems Johnny Manziel was involved in an “altercation” involving alcohol, a woman, the police and a helicopter search in Fort Worth, Texas. Just another Friday night in Johnny Football’s world. Seems the helicopter was used to try to locate Manziel after his ex-girlfriend expressed concern over Manziel’s welfare. No charges were laid .... Retired running back Amman Green, who is the Packers’ career rushing leader (8,322 yards) has a role in the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie due out on March 25. He revealed that his character’s name in the script is “Thug #2,” and his role is more than just as an extra. ... Word out of Denver is that S T.J. Ward’s left ankle injury is “not that serious” and that he will likely play in next Sunday’s Super Bowl. Denver’s other safety, Darian Stewart, is recovering from a sprained MCL and his outlook is not as promising, though he says himself that he will play. Ward and Stewart are two key cogs in Denver’s league-best defence.

Panthers coach Rivera packs Super Bowl ring for inspiration

Carolina head coach Ron Rivera owns something precious that only a handful in the Panthers family have: A Super Bowl ring.

He earned that special memento as a 23-year-old linebacker on the 1985 Chicago Bears, considered one of the best all-round teams in NFL history.

Those Bears went 15-1 and cruised through the postseason, annihilating the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Rivera doesn’t ever wear his Super Bowl ring but he is expecting to take it with him to California for a private showing to his players.

“I’ve tried to make the point that it represents everything that you’ve gone through and the people that have played,” Rivera told reporters on Friday, two days before the team flies out to begin the Super Bowl week festivities.

“It’s not necessarily about the ring. It’s the people it stands for.”

Like those Bears, Rivera’s Panthers lost only one game all year and head to California as heavy favourites to beat the Denver Broncos.